Access to clean water and sanitary facilities is a fundamental human right because they are necessary for human survival. Nonetheless, there is still a water and sanitation crisis affecting millions of people worldwide. Emphasis on accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis is the focus of World Water Day 2023. This theme emphasizes the seriousness of the situation and the necessity for collective action to address this global dilemma.

An enormous public health problem that impacts billions of people globally is the lack of access to clean water and sanitary facilities. Almost 2.2 billion people, as well as more than 4.2 billion people, lack access to appropriately managed sanitation facilities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, waterborne illnesses including cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea proliferate. These illnesses can be fatal, especially for young children under the age of five.

In addition to being a health problem, the water and sanitation crisis is also an economic and social one. Lack of access to sanitary facilities hinders economic development, keeps people in poverty, and lowers productivity. Since they are frequently responsible for collecting water, which can take up to six hours per day, women and girls in particular face the brunt of the water crisis. Instead of wasting this time, they should be investing it in their education, earning money, and taking care of their family.

To ensure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitary facilities, governments, civil society, the private sector, and individuals must collaborate to create sustainable solutions. To provide water and sanitation services that are both enduring and reasonably priced, infrastructure and technological investment are essential. In locations where public money is scarce, the private sector can contribute significantly to the financing, planning, and execution of water and sanitation projects.

We at Praj Industries offers cutting-edge technological solutions that combine science and technology to address water and sanitation problems with our Wastewater Treatment and Zero Liquid discharge (ZLD) solutions. Regulatory norms around effluent treatment are becoming more stringent day by day, making Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) solutions an imperative. Our Zero Liquid Discharge and recovery systems provide an efficient way to treat industrial waste. The unique patented Solvent Recovery Systems provides complex effluent treatment solutions. Our rich experience in the operation & maintenance of several complex water & wastewater treatment systems help us provide total water treatment solutions.

To overcome the water and sanitation crisis, education and awareness-raising are also essential. Communities must be educated on the value of clean water and sanitary conditions as well as how to take charge of their health and wellbeing. Through our CSR arm, Praj Foundation works with villages across Maharashtra to create awareness about the effective usage of water and share good habits to promote preventive healthcare. It continues to work with local NGOs and villagers to solve problems of depleting groundwater, cleaning silts from check dams and ponds to store more water for agriculture and drinking purpose.

Finally, we must make sure that everyone has equitable access to sanitary facilities. Reaching out to the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, such as women, children, and persons with disabilities, is necessary. This necessitates a human rights-based approach to water and sanitation, which acknowledges the universal right to these resources and places the needs of the most vulnerable people first.

Let's concentrate on accelerating progress to address the water and sanitation problem on World Water Day in 2023. We can make certain that everyone has access to clean water and sanitary facilities by banding together and putting sustainable solutions into practice. This will support social and economic development in addition to health and well-being. Each of us has a part to play in addressing this global issue, and by working together, we can change things.